tat2ue
Well-Known Member
I have been wanting to add co2 to my grow room since I finished it a cpl months ago but the cash outlay kept me from doing it. Then I ran across an artical on the web titled "CO2 for FREE" written by David Oppenheimer (Great read). Simply put, he explained how you can use the exhaust gas from a natural gas hot water heater to enrich your growing area with co2 for a mere fraction of the cost of a tank system or one of those pricey co2 generators made by "CAP" or "BluOx". Since my water heater is about 10' from my grow room this worked out great for me. All I did was place a "T" in the exhaust line exiting the top of the heater. I then ran a 4" metal duct (not that flimsey 4" dryer duct) into my grow room. Once inside my grow room I continued it to a bathroom exhaust fan ($14.00 at Loews) I built into a box and attached to the wall. You can use a 4" inline booster fan but I would have had to order it online from Loews or HD .The exit side is a 3" duct fitting that I attached a 90 degree elbow to and directed the flow of exhaust gas (CO2) behind a 16" oscilating fan that I mounted close to the ceiling. The fan disperses the co2 over my entire grow area for complete co2 saturation.
Before I installed my "Ghetto Generator" my co2 ppm in my sealed grow room ranged from 400 - 500 ppm. After the instalation it measured 3000 ppm WAAAAY to high. And since I don't have one of those co2 monitors like a CAP1/2 or 3 I had to dial my Ghetto Generator"in with a $17.00 timer. After trial and error I got it to keep a constant 1500 -1900 ppm with lights on by setting my timer at 15 min on and 30 min off. I also installed a Carbon Monoxide alarm to be on the safe side....Total cost was around $80.00 and install time ran 3-4 hours.
I run 4 x 1000w HPS lights in cool tubes vented into the attic w/ an 800cfm inline fan drawing from outside air and the temps stay in the range of 82 to 85 degrees while venting the warm air from the water heater into the room. I do have a line from my central air running into the 8 x 12 grow room to help keep it cool also. Well anyway I hope this helps a few of yall out. Here are a few more specs on my grow-op.
Room Size is 8 x 12
Set up two ebb & flow tables that are 3 x 8, one on each side of the room. Each table has eighty 3" netpots for a total of 160 plant sites (I lollypop all my plants and they go straight from the DIY aero cloner into flower)
Ea table is covered by 2 x 1000w HPS cool tubes
Ph range is 5.8 to 6.0
Nute ppm range is kept close to 1500ppm at all times
Night time temps (lights off) is 69 to 71 degrees
Day temps w/ co2 and lights on ranges from 82 to 86 degrees.
CO2 ranges (lights on) 1500 to 1900 ppm (and is now FREEEEEEE)
Thats All Folks ...Hope this helps someone cause it sure saved me a bundle of $$$$$$
Before I installed my "Ghetto Generator" my co2 ppm in my sealed grow room ranged from 400 - 500 ppm. After the instalation it measured 3000 ppm WAAAAY to high. And since I don't have one of those co2 monitors like a CAP1/2 or 3 I had to dial my Ghetto Generator"in with a $17.00 timer. After trial and error I got it to keep a constant 1500 -1900 ppm with lights on by setting my timer at 15 min on and 30 min off. I also installed a Carbon Monoxide alarm to be on the safe side....Total cost was around $80.00 and install time ran 3-4 hours.
I run 4 x 1000w HPS lights in cool tubes vented into the attic w/ an 800cfm inline fan drawing from outside air and the temps stay in the range of 82 to 85 degrees while venting the warm air from the water heater into the room. I do have a line from my central air running into the 8 x 12 grow room to help keep it cool also. Well anyway I hope this helps a few of yall out. Here are a few more specs on my grow-op.
Room Size is 8 x 12
Set up two ebb & flow tables that are 3 x 8, one on each side of the room. Each table has eighty 3" netpots for a total of 160 plant sites (I lollypop all my plants and they go straight from the DIY aero cloner into flower)
Ea table is covered by 2 x 1000w HPS cool tubes
Ph range is 5.8 to 6.0
Nute ppm range is kept close to 1500ppm at all times
Night time temps (lights off) is 69 to 71 degrees
Day temps w/ co2 and lights on ranges from 82 to 86 degrees.
CO2 ranges (lights on) 1500 to 1900 ppm (and is now FREEEEEEE)
Thats All Folks ...Hope this helps someone cause it sure saved me a bundle of $$$$$$
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